Device for producing plastic tubes

ABSTRACT

An apparatus produces plastic tubes by extrusion with an extruder, a pipehead being attached to the extruder in production direction, having a base material with at least one mandrel and a sleeve, a melt channel between the mandrel and the sleeve, the melt channel shaped to aid flow in production direction at least at the mandrel&#39;s end and at the sleeve&#39;s end, the mandrel and sleeve being adjustable backwards and forward relatively to one another, the outer surface of the mandrel and/or the inner surface of the sleeve at least partially has a material that allows for a higher sliding quality than the base material. The outer and/or the inner surface (i) has a coating either unvaried, or whose sliding quality constantly improves, or whose sliding quality alternately improves and worsens, in the production direction, or (ii) is partially coated, or (iii) the mandrel and/or sleeve fronts are coated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. national stage application under 35 U.S.C.§371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2014/051600, filed on Jan.28, 2014, and claims benefit to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2013202 798.2, filed on Feb. 21, 2013. The International Application waspublished in German on Aug. 28, 2014, as WO 2014/127958 A1 under PCTArticle 21(2).

FIELD

The invention concerns an apparatus for the production of plastic tubesby extrusion.

BACKGROUND

The latest state of the art shows a multitude of apparatus for theproduction of plastic tubes, among them also pipeheads with lines formolten material that feature an improved sliding quality.

DE 102 05 210 B4, for instance, shows a pipehead comprising a mandreland a sleeve of which both, the mandrel and the sleeve, consist ofsegments that are manufactured from different materials, which causesdifferent sliding qualities throughout the melt channel.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for producing a plastictube by extrusion with an extruder, the apparatus comprising: apipehead, attached to the extruder in a production direction, comprisinga base material, a mandrel, and a sleeve; and a melt channel, createdbetween the mandrel and the sleeve, the melt channel being shaped to aidthe flow in production direction at least at a mandrel end and at asleeve end, wherein the mandrel and the sleeve are adjustable backwardsand forward relatively to one another, wherein an outer mandrel surfaceand/or an inner sleeve surface at least partially comprises a materialthat allows for a higher sliding quality than the base material, whereinthe outer mandrel surface and/or the inner sleeve surface comprises acoating that does not vary in the production direction, or wherein theouter mandrel surface and/or the inner sleeve surface comprises acoating whose sliding quality constantly improves in the productiondirection, or wherein the outer mandrel surface and/or the inner sleevesurface comprises a coating whose sliding quality alternately improvesand worsens in the production direction, or wherein the outer mandrelsurface and/or the inner sleeve surface partially comprises a coating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in even greater detail belowbased on the exemplary figures. The invention is not limited to theexemplary embodiments. All features described and/or illustrated hereincan be used alone or combined in different combinations in embodimentsof the invention. The features and advantages of various embodiments ofthe present invention will become apparent by reading the followingdetailed description with reference to the attached drawings whichillustrate the following:

FIG. 1 shows a typical extrusion line;

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the pipehead;

FIG. 3 shows a half-section according to FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a half-section of the sleeve with a diagram;

FIG. 5 shows an alternative for FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows another alternative for FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 shows another alternative for FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 shows a further alternative embodiment;

FIG. 10 shows a further alternative embodiment; and

FIG. 11 shows an addition that is realizable for all embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An aspect of the present invention improves on known pipeheads.

An aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for the production ofplastic tubes by extrusion by means of an extruder, a pipehead beingattached to the extruder in the production direction, consisting of abase material with at least one mandrel and a sleeve, with a meltchannel between the mandrel and the sleeve, the melt channel beingshaped to aid the flow in production direction at least at the end ofthe mandrel and at the end of the sleeve, the mandrel and the sleevebeing adjustable backwards and forward relatively to one another, theouter surface of the mandrel and/or the inner surface of the sleeveconsisting at least partially of a material that allows for a highersliding quality than the base material.

An aspect of the invention provides an apparatus or method wherein theouter and/or the inner surface is furnished with a coating that does notvary in the production direction, or the outer and/or the inner surfaceis furnished with a coating whose sliding quality constantly improves inthe production direction, or the outer and/or the inner surface isfurnished with a coating whose sliding quality alternately improves andworsens in the production direction, or the outer and/or the innersurface is partially furnished with a coating, or the fronts of themandrel and/or the front of the sleeve are furnished with a coating.

The flow-supporting build can be adapted to the respective product (typeof molten material) to be processed, since not all molten materials areequal. The steel can also have undergone partial heat treatment and/orbeen polished so as to achieve the different sliding qualities.

These embodiments according to the invention allow for an individualadaptation of the sliding qualities of the melt channel to the differentrequirements of the production of plastic tubes.

Only in this way it is possible to adapt the sliding quality of the meltchannel in the pipehead, e.g. dependently on the material to beprocessed—or the materials in the case of multi-layer extrusion, so asto achieve the best possible results concerning:

1. The melt flow profile over the width of the flow gap to achieve aminimal drawing of the melt relatively to the flow rate.

This can be practical in the event of redirections as well ascompressions and decompressions of the melt in the flow channel. Thedwell time of the melt particles can thus be minimized, which isimportant especially when processing materials that require a shortdwell time or in the case of color changes of the melt throughout theflow channel. In sections where different melt flows meet, a targetedimprovement of the flow qualities at the flow surfaces can help tooptimize the flowing together of the melt flows. Furthermore, the flowquality of already united melt flows can be improved in subsequentcritical flow sections in analogy to the materials which require a shortdwell time, so as to minimize the risk of a fusion of the melts.

2. The surface quality of the tube to be manufactured.

If the adhesion between the melt and the flow surface is minimal at thenozzle outlet, the shearing stress in the melt flow is minimized aswell, as is the risk of a rupture of the melt at the outlet of the meltchannel. The undamaged or only minimally damaged surface of the meltflow can thus result in the best possible surface quality of theproduced tube.

The addressed surfaces can e. g. be coated with PTFE or sections of thepipehead can be made out of a material whose sliding quality is per sebetter than that of the base material. The polishing quality, that is,the surface roughness also influences the flowing behavior of the melt.Dependently on the heat treatment of the base material, the gridstructure can be influenced and the surface quality can thus beimproved. Steel, e.g. CK 45 or CeMo4, the material preferably used forthe production of pipeheads, serves as the base material.

The design of the pipehead can be highly individual. The form of thesleeve as well as that of the mandrel and their combination are renderedin the sub-claims. A conical enlargement and reduction of the diameterof the mandrel towards the end of the mandrel are, for instance,included. The mandrel can also feature a large or small arc/rounding orradius and be tapered continuously.

Analogous embodiments are provided for the sleeve, which can alsofeature a conically increasing or decreasing inner diameter at its endor have a large or small arc/rounding or radius or be taperedcontinuously.

The geometrical design of the flow channel depends on the respectivedemands on the melt delivery within the tool and on the transitionsection from the tool outlet to the inlet section of the calibrationsleeve. Within the tool, a compression section before the outlet of themelt, for instance, can have a positive impact on the quality of theproduced pipe for certain molten materials. For materials that require ashort dwell time, necessary redirections of the melt flow should also berealized with large radii and a minimal change of compression.

Further advantageous variations and improvements are rendered in thesub-claims.

FIG. 1 depicts a typical extrusion line as used today for profileextrusion, be it in the production of window profiles or tubes. It showsan extruder (1) in which plastic is molten and continuously driventowards the extrusion tool (2) for forming. Adjoined to the extrusiontool (2) is a calibration and cooling station (3). Depending on theprofile, several cooling stations are possible. An extraction device (4)follows the cooling stations. A cutting device (5) serves to cut thecontinuous profiles (6) to the correct length.

FIG. 2 depicts a subsection of a longitudinal section along the centralaxis of extrusion through the tool (2), namely the pipehead. As in allthe following figures, the schemata show only the end section of thesleeve and the mandrel, but no other component parts. A mandrel (7) anda sleeve (8) can be seen. The diameter of the mandrel (7) conicallyincreases at the end of the mandrel (9), as does the inner diameter ofthe sleeve (8) at the end of the sleeve (10). Depending on the angleswithin the cone, the design of the melt channel (17) can vary at theoutlet of the pipehead. This variation is also due to a shift of themandrel (7) relatively to the sleeve (8), regardless of whether thesleeve (8) is being shifted in relation to the mandrel (7) or viceversa. Both variants can be provided. Both, the outside (12) of themandrel (7) and the inside (13) of the sleeve (8) are furnished with acoating (14). The production direction of the tube (6) is rendered withan arrow (11).

FIG. 3 only shows a half section of FIG. 2 in an enlarged representationso as to illustrate the coating (14) on the surfaces of the sleeve (8)and the mandrel (7). Equal parts are numbered equally.

FIG. 4 only depicts a half section of the sleeve (8) and below that thegeneral development of the sliding quality throughout the depictedlongitudinal axis of the sleeve (8). The sleeve (8) is furnished with acoating (14) whose sliding quality improves in production direction(11). This improvement is rendered by the graph that constantly rises inproduction direction.

FIGS. 5 and 6 depict different developments of the sliding qualityaccording to FIG. 4, equal parts being again numbered equally. An abruptrise (FIG. 6) and a sinusoidal development (FIG. 5) of the slidingquality are rendered. The sliding quality can of course have differentdevelopments as well. The front end of the pipehead is not depicted. Ifit was, the development of the sliding quality throughout the wholepipehead would e. g. be parabolic, the quality decreasing from thebeginning and then increasing again towards the end. The in-betweendevelopment could then of course be sinusoidal again or else resembleany other function.

As depicted in FIG. 6, an only partial coating (14) is also possible,which would lead to a step-like development.

For the design according to FIG. 7, the coating (14) is applied only tothe sides (15 & 16) of the sleeve (8) and the mandrel (7). Thus, anexcretion of sediments from the melt flow at the outlet of the pipeheadis realized. It is not necessary for every specific application for bothsides to be coated; depending on the application, it may be sufficientif only the front of the sleeve (8) or of the mandrel (7) are coated. Amaterial or coating can as well be provided that features analogousadhesion and/or sliding properties.

As has already been elaborated, the aim of a changing of the slidingproperties can also be achieved through an adequate choice of materialor a variety of materials as well as through the polishing propertyand/or heat treatment of the base material, thus replacing the coating.In the given figures, only one design of the pipehead with mandrel (7)and sleeve (8) has been depicted in each case. However, according to theinvention, this can be applied to all further designs of the mandrel (7)and the sleeve (8).

Serving merely as an example, FIG. 8 depicts a case in which the innerdiameter of the sleeve (8) conically decreases at the sleeve's end (10)and the diameter of the mandrel (7) conically increases at the end ofthe mandrel (9). In the first figure, the melt channel (17) is almostclosed at the end of the pipehead, while in the figure below, theopening is widened due to a shift of the mandrel (7) relatively to thesleeve (8). The coating patterns represented in FIGS. 2 to 7 are equallyvalid here, but have not been depicted.

FIG. 9 shows a design in which the end of the sleeve (10) and the end ofthe mandrel (9) are rounded. The rounding does not necessarily have tohave a regular radius, but can as well be a curve or the arrangement ofseveral radii. In every case, the diameter of the mandrel (7) and thediameter of the sleeve (8) are increased towards the end by means of anarched section.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 10, the diameter of the sleeve (8)remains unchanged, while the diameter of the mandrel (7) increases,which has been realized here with the help of a conical end of themandrel (9). However, this can as well be implemented with an end of themandrel (9) according to FIG. 9 (round).

In FIG. 11, the design according to FIG. 9 has been altered such thatafter the changing of the diameter by means of a rounded end, a straightcomponent part is attached which runs parallel to the central axis. Thesurface section (18) of the sleeve (8) and the surface section (19) ofthe mandrel (7) are therefore cylindrical and form the end of the meltchannel (17).

This cylindrical end can of course be realized for all the possibledesigns.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, such illustration and descriptionare to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. Itwill be understood that changes and modifications may be made by thoseof ordinary skill within the scope of the following claims. Inparticular, the present invention covers further embodiments with anycombination of features from different embodiments described above andbelow. Additionally, statements made herein characterizing the inventionrefer to an embodiment of the invention and not necessarily allembodiments.

The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadestreasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. Forexample, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an elementshould not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements.Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as beinginclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “Aand B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing descriptionthat only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “atleast one of A, B, and C” should be interpreted as one or more of agroup of elements consisting of A, B, and C, and should not beinterpreted as requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A,B, and C, regardless of whether A, B, and C are related as categories orotherwise. Moreover, the recitation of “A, B, and/or C” or “at least oneof A, B, or C” should be interpreted as including any singular entityfrom the listed elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements,e.g., A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B, and C.

LEGENDS

1 Extruder

2 Extrusion tool

3 Calibration and cooling section

4 Extraction device

5 Cutting device

6 Profile

7 Mandrel

8 Sleeve

9 End of 7

10 End of 8

11 Production direction

12 Outer surface of 7

13 Inner surface of 8

14 Coating

15 Front of 7

16 Front of 8

17 Melt channel

18 Surface section of the sleeve (8)

19 Surface section of the mandrel (7)

1. An apparatus for producing a plastic tube by extrusion with anextruder, the apparatus comprising: a pipehead, attached to the extruderin a production direction, comprising a base material, a mandrel, and asleeve; and a melt channel, created between the mandrel and the sleeve,the melt channel being shaped to aid the flow in production direction atleast at a mandrel end and at a sleeve end, wherein the mandrel and thesleeve are adjustable backwards and forward relatively to one another,wherein an outer mandrel surface and/or an inner sleeve surface at leastpartially comprises a material that allows for a higher sliding qualitythan the base material, wherein the outer mandrel surface and/or theinner sleeve surface comprises a coating that does not vary in theproduction direction, or wherein the outer mandrel surface and/or theinner sleeve surface comprises a coating whose sliding qualityconstantly improves in the production direction, or wherein the outermandrel surface and/or the inner sleeve surface comprises a coatingwhose sliding quality alternately improves and worsens in the productiondirection, or wherein the outer mandrel surface and/or the inner sleevesurface partially comprises a coating.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein a mandrel diameter at the mandrel end, and an inner sleevediameter at the sleeve end, conically increase.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the mandrel end and the mandrel end are rounded orimplemented with a radius.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein themandrel end is rounded or implemented with a radius, and wherein aninner sleeve diameter conically decreases at the sleeve end.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein a mandrel diameter conically increases atthe mandrel end, and wherein the sleeve end is rounded or implementedwith a radius.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a mandrel diameterconically increases at the mandrel end, and wherein and the sleeve endis tapered.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a mandrel diameterconically increases at the mandrel end, and wherein an inner sleevediameter conically decreases at the sleeve end.
 8. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the mandrel end is tapered, and wherein an inner sleevediameter conically decreases at the sleeve end.
 9. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the mandrel end is rounded or implemented with aradius, and wherein an inner sleeve diameter conically increases at thesleeve end.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mandrel end isrounded or implemented with a radius, and wherein the sleeve end istapered.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a mandrel diameter at themandrel end and an inner sleeve diameter at the sleeve end conicallydecrease.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: twoadditional surface sections, attached to the mandrel end and the sleeveend, wherein the two additional surface sections are parallel andcylindrical.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coating comprisesPTFE.
 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a higher sliding quality isrealized using inserted rings comprising or coated with a secondmaterial, other than the base material.
 15. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein mandrel and/or sleeve front sides comprise a coating.
 16. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer mandrel surface comprises acoating that does not vary in the production direction.
 17. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner sleeve surface comprises acoating that does not vary in the production direction.
 18. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer mandrel surface and the innersleeve surface comprise a coating that does not vary in the productiondirection.
 19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer mandrelsurface comprises a coating whose sliding quality constantly improves inthe production direction.
 20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theinner sleeve surface comprises a coating whose sliding qualityconstantly improves in the production direction.